JULIA HEUVEL died on 25th April 2014 (a week after Good Friday), 23 days after her 80th birthday. We saw life steadily leave her as the cancer continued its march into her pancreas. When I think of JULIE, I see DAVID. It’s 1956 and the two of them are standing in front of Rev. William Mason in the Buitenkant Street Methodist . I hear them listening to the words: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things … Love never ends”.
I hear the sound of footsteps coming down the passage of the Shannon Street home in Salt River; listen to the front door open and feel the warmth of hospitality. Her children, 9 grand children and 2 great grand children rise up, call her blessed and join in the chorus of WELCOME.
I feel the pain of EVICTION in District 6. The HEUVELS were one of the last residents to be forcibly removed from their semi-detached home which stood opposite the Sterling Flats. I see their resident minister, Rev. Charles Villa Vicencio, confronting the authorities and wondered how that moment shaped his future. I can smell the famous TRIPE AND TROTTERS (the poor man’s/person’s meal) and give thanks to God for the way Julie’s gentle and loving spirit has made its silent witness on all of our lives.
Even at her funeral, the family shared a huge basket of JULIE’S (favourite) SWEETS – a symbol of the GOODBYE SWEET given to us by JULIE everytime it was time to leave.
It was good to be back in SALT RIVER. JULIE had always been supportive of my ministry. She regularly attended the lunchtime worship services we developed to meet the needs of a changing environment. I called for SABBATH LIVING – urging the faithful to take time out for God each and every day – rather than SABBATH KEEPING. JULIE and her close friend DAPHNE (pictured above) would prepare (clean) the Church on Fridays for the service on Sunday. Her life won’t make news headlines but as the story unfolds it brings to life images of another world.
JULIA HEUVEL draws us into a world which money cannot buy. The impact of this mother’s love is immense. Her life of faith was remarkable. JULIE had a wonderful way of working with children. She opens a window into the lost art of giving of oneself for others. JULIE knew how to use time graciously. She was very engaging, bringing a HUMILTY in all her hard working ways.
During the War, JULIE sewed badges on uniforms at the ENSIGN factory. Her hands were always busy, knitting (she even taught her son Brian to knit!) for someone in need. Her feet pounded the pavements. She knew exactly what was going on in SALT RIVER. The worker in JULIE offers those of us who mourn her death a NEW BEGINNING. The Celebration of her LIFE took place on the day after WORKER’S DAY. Those present experienced a moment of HUMANITY and marvelled at the way in which she saw the good in people. JULIA was able to look beyond our flaws. She was a PEACEMAKER.
Something of the EASTER EXPERIENCE began to rub off on all of us. We had all made our own “little HEUVEL” (hill/cairn) remembering how JULIE would collect a stone from a place where she had been. She would thrust the treasured item into our hands (always with a sweet) and make the connection (show the love). JULIE saw the beauty in everything. She found the goodness and presence of God especially in the Sunrise.
There was a ritual on the HEUVEL camping trips. DAVID would switch on his small transistor radio as dawn was breaking. JULIE would wake up the children and insist that they experience the splendour of the new day watching the Sunrise.
JULIE would look at the rays, the reflections, the degrees of light and reveal her faith in a God whose love never ends. Knowingly, she would nod her head saying: GOD IS GOOD and smile. We walked away from her closed grave (covered in flowers) alongside the Voortrekker Road in Maitland, strengthened by the inspiration of her life. Her life definitely gets my vote!
Mark Hovden Stephenson 
I’m sure I remember that name – perhaps we met her in a past visit. She sounds like a ‘Salt of the earth’ person as we say. So moving to me that they were one of the last to leave District 6 – I really was sorry that we didn’t have time to take Susanne there, but we did other things! God bless her family as they remember her…………I remember when we first met you, that we had to go up Table Mountain on the Sunday because the weather was good! – and your words re “Sabbath Living, not Sabbath keeping” – then we went to the midweek service at Salt River having visited Salty Print first – special memories. This visit it was so good to meet B again………… HI B!
She will really be missed in Salt River. Just seeing Julie present in the community was always life giving. Thanks for the memory. Yes you will remember her from the Wednesday Worship Experiment. Life is all about moving on … but sometimes it’s necessary to pause and ponder.
Hi Pauline. It was lovely seeing you all again late last year. Yes, Julie was very special. I’ll always remember her gentle voice and her sense of humour even when life was rather trying. And of course she always had a sweet or two to share. A good woman!
Lovely service, Mark
Hi Pauline. It was lovely seeing you all again late last year. Yes, Julie was very special. I’ll always remember her gentle voice and her sense of humour even when life was rather trying. And of course she always had a sweet or two to share. A good woman!
Lovely service, Mark.
Thanks Beatrice. We will miss her.
Thanks Mark for your remembrance of your friend Julie.
There is a resonance when we share the life story of God’s people.Arlene and I watched a recording of the Tigers playing the Red Sox last night (the Sunday game).
Looks like they are on a winning streak.
Hi Beatrice, thanks for your message – it was good to see and hear you too! We had a lovely time – passing all too quickly with things left undone. It was good to find that we all looked much the same as we always did – except for the few grey hairs and wrinkles, laughter lines of course!